BLADE turbo gradient- and spin-echo in the assessment of sinonasal lesions: a comprehensive comparison of image quality in readout-segmented echo-planar imaging

Background A two-dimensional turbo gradient-echo and spin-echo diffusion-weighted pulse sequence with a non-Cartesian BLADE trajectory (TGSE BLADE) can eliminate image artifacts and distortion with clinically acceptable scan times. This process has the potential to overcome the shortcomings of current diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) techniques, especially in the sinonasal region. Purpose To investigate the feasibility of TGSE BLADE in the assessment of sinonasal lesions and compare the quality of TGSE BLADE with RESOLVE images both qualitatively and quantitatively. Material and Methods A total of 36 patients with sinonasal lesions were included in this prospective study. DW images acquired using TGSE BLADE and RESOLVE were performed with the same acquisition time. Two independent observers evaluated the qualitative parameters (overall image quality, lesion visibility, and geometric distortion) and quantitative parameters (geometric distortion ratio [GDR], signal-to-noise ratio [SNR], contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio [CNR], and apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] value) of the two sequences. Results Qualitative assessment revealed that TGSE BLADE exhibited higher overall image quality ( P < 0.001) and lesion visibility ( P < 0.001) and less geometric distortion ( P < 0.001) than RESOLVE. Quantitative assessment showed that TGSE BLADE images exhibited higher contrast ( P < 0.001) and CNR ( P < 0.001) and lower GDR ( P < 0.05) and SNR ( P < 0.001) than RESOLVE images. The ADC value of TGSE BLADE was significantly lower than that of RESOLVE ( P < 0.05). Conclusion TGSE BLADE can reduce susceptibility artifacts and geometric distortion more than RESOLVE and appears to be a promising diffusion imaging sequence for the assessment of sinonasal lesions.

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Performance of TGSE BLADE DWI in the diagnosis of cholesteatoma compared with RESOLVE DWI

10.21203/rs.2.21206/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yaru Sheng ◽

Rujian Hong ◽

Yan Sha ◽

Zhongshuai Zhang ◽

Kun Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Image Quality ◽

Pulse Sequence ◽

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Spin Echo ◽

Quantitative Imaging ◽

Geometric Distortion ◽

Imaging Parameters ◽

Diffusion Weighted ◽

Ghosting Artifacts ◽

Noise Ratio

Abstract Background: Based on the high resolution of soft tissue, MRI has gained increasing importance in the evaluation of cholesteatoma, especially diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of 2D turbo gradient- and spin-echo (TGSE) diffusion-weighted (DW) pulse sequence with BLADE trajectory technique in the diagnosis of cholesteatoma at 3T and to qualitatively and quantitatively compare the image quality between the TGSE BLADE and RESOLVE methods.Method: A total of 42 patients (23 males, 19 females; age range, 7-65 years; mean, 40.1 years) with surgically confirmed cholesteatoma in the middle ear were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent DWI (both the prototype TGSE BLADE DWI sequence and RESOLVE DWI sequence) using a 3-T scanner with a 64-channel brain coil.Qualitative imaging parameters (imaging sharpness, geometric distortion, ghosting artifacts, and overall imaging quality) and quantitative imaging parameters (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC], signal-to-noise ratio [SNR], contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio [CNR] for the two diffusion acquisition techniques were assessed by two independent radiologists. Result: Comparison of the qualitative scores indicated that TGSE BLADE DWI produced less geometric distortion and ghosting artifacts (P<0.001) and higher image quality (P<0.001) than RESOLVE DWI. Comparison of the evaluated quantitative image parameters between TGSE and RESOLVE showed that TGSE BLADE DWI produced a significantly lower SNR (P<0.001) and higher parameter values (both contrast and CNR (P < 0.001)) than RESOLVE DWI.The ADC (P<0.001) measured by TGSE BLADE DWI (0.763×10-3 s/mm2) is significantly lower than that measured by RESOLVE DWI (0.928×10-3 s/mm2). Conclusion: Comparing with RESOLVE DWI, TGSE BLADE DWI can significantly improve the image quality of cholesteatoma by reducing magnetic sensitive artifacts, distortion, and blurring. TGSE BLADE DWI is more valuable for the diagnosis of small-sized (2mm) cholesteatoma lesions compare with RESOLVE DWI image. However, TGSE BLADE DWI also has some disadvantages: the whole image intensity is slightly low, so that the anatomical details of the air-bone interface are not well shown, which is the place to be improved in the future.

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Performance of TGSE BLADE DWI in the diagnosis of cholesteatoma compared with RESOLVE DWI

10.21203/rs.2.21206/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yaru Sheng ◽

Rujian Hong ◽

Yan Sha ◽

Zhongshuai Zhang ◽

Kun Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Image Quality ◽

Pulse Sequence ◽

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Spin Echo ◽

Quantitative Imaging ◽

Geometric Distortion ◽

Imaging Parameters ◽

Diffusion Weighted ◽

Ghosting Artifacts ◽

Noise Ratio

Abstract Background Based on its high resolution in soft tissue, MRI, especially diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), is increasingly important in the evaluation of cholesteatoma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the 2D turbo gradient- and spin-echo (TGSE) diffusion-weighted (DW) pulse sequence with the BLADE trajectory technique in the diagnosis of cholesteatoma at 3T and to qualitatively and quantitatively compare image quality between the TGSE BLADE and RESOLVE methods.Method A total of 42 patients (23 males, 19 females; age range, 7-65 years; mean, 40.1 years) with surgically confirmed cholesteatoma in the middle ear were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent DWI (both a prototype TGSE BLADE DWI sequence and the RESOLVE DWI sequence) using a 3-T scanner with a 64-channel brain coil.Qualitative imaging parameters (imaging sharpness, geometric distortion, ghosting artifacts, and overall imaging quality) and quantitative imaging parameters (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC], signal-to-noise ratio [SNR], contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio [CNR]) were assessed for the two diffusion acquisition techniques by two independent radiologists.ResultA comparison of qualitative scores indicated that TGSE BLADE DWI produced less geometric distortion, fewer ghosting artifacts (P<0.001) and higher image quality (P<0.001) than were observed for RESOLVE DWI. A comparison of the evaluated quantitative image parameters between TGSE and RESOLVE showed that TGSE BLADE DWI produced a significantly lower SNR (P<0.001) and higher parameter values (both contrast and CNR (P < 0.001)) than were found for RESOLVE DWI.The ADC (P<0.001) was significantly lower for TGSE BLADE DWI (0.763×10-3mm2/s) than RESOLVE DWI (0.928×10-3 mm2/s).Conclusion Compared with RESOLVE DWI, TGSE BLADE DWI significantly improved the image quality of cholesteatoma by reducing magnetic sensitive artifacts, distortion, and blurring. TGSE BLADE DWI is more valuable than RESOLVE DWI for the diagnosis of small-sized (2 mm) cholesteatoma lesions. However, TGSE BLADE DWI also has some disadvantages: the whole image intensity is slightly low, so that the anatomical details of the air-bone interface are not shown well, and this shortcoming should be improved in the future.

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Performance of TGSE BLADE DWI compared with RESOLVE DWI in the diagnosis of cholesteatoma

10.21203/rs.2.21206/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yaru Sheng(Former Corresponding Author) ◽

Rujian Hong ◽

Yan Sha(New Corresponding Author) ◽

Zhongshuai Zhang ◽

Kun Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Image Quality ◽

Pulse Sequence ◽

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Spin Echo ◽

Quantitative Imaging ◽

Geometric Distortion ◽

Imaging Parameters ◽

Diffusion Weighted ◽

Ghosting Artifacts ◽

Noise Ratio

Abstract Background :Based on its high resolution in soft tissue, MRI, especially diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), is increasingly important in the evaluation of cholesteatoma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the 2D turbo gradient- and spin-echo (TGSE) diffusion-weighted (DW) pulse sequence with the BLADE trajectory technique in the diagnosis of cholesteatoma at 3T and to qualitatively and quantitatively compare image quality between the TGSE BLADE and RESOLVE methods.Method:A total of 42 patients (23 males, 19 females; age range, 7-65 years; mean, 40.1 years) with surgically confirmed cholesteatoma in the middle ear were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent DWI (both a prototype TGSE BLADE DWI sequence and the RESOLVE DWI sequence) using a 3-T scanner with a 64-channel brain coil.Qualitative imaging parameters (imaging sharpness, geometric distortion, ghosting artifacts, and overall imaging quality) and quantitative imaging parameters (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC], signal-to-noise ratio [SNR], contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio [CNR]) were assessed for the two diffusion acquisition techniques by two independent radiologists.Result: A comparison of qualitative scores indicated that TGSE BLADE DWI produced less geometric distortion, fewer ghosting artifacts (P<0.001) and higher image quality (P<0.001) than were observed for RESOLVE DWI. A comparison of the evaluated quantitative image parameters between TGSE and RESOLVE showed that TGSE BLADE DWI produced a significantly lower SNR (P<0.001) and higher parameter values (both contrast and CNR (P < 0.001)) than were found for RESOLVE DWI.The ADC (P<0.001) was significantly lower for TGSE BLADE DWI (0.763×10-3 s/mm2) than RESOLVE DWI (0.928×10-3 s/mm2).Conclusion: Compared with RESOLVE DWI, TGSE BLADE DWI significantly improved the image quality of cholesteatoma by reducing magnetic sensitive artifacts, distortion, and blurring. TGSE BLADE DWI is more valuable than RESOLVE DWI for the diagnosis of small-sized (2 mm) cholesteatoma lesions. However, TGSE BLADE DWI also has some disadvantages: the whole image intensity is slightly low, so that the anatomical details of the air-bone interface are not shown well, and this shortcoming should be improved in the future.

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High-Resolution DWI with Simultaneous Multi-Slice Readout-Segmented Echo Planar Imaging for the Evaluation of Malignant and Benign Breast Lesions

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11122273 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 2273

Author(s):

Shuyi Peng ◽

Yihao Guo ◽

Xiaoyong Zhang ◽

Juan Tao ◽

Jie Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

Image Quality ◽

Echo Planar Imaging ◽

Slight Reduction ◽

Breast Lesions ◽

Planar Imaging ◽

Benign Lesions ◽

Adc Value ◽

Noise Ratio ◽

Echo Planar

To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of high-resolution readout-segmented echo planar imaging (rs-EPI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is used simultaneously with multi-slice (SMS) imaging (SMS rs-EPI) for the differentiation of breast malignant and benign lesions in comparison to conventional rs-EPI on a 3T MR scanner. A total of 102 patients with 113 breast lesions underwent bilateral breast MRI using a prototype SMS rs-EPI sequence and a conventional rs-EPI sequence. Subjective image quality was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = poor, 5 = excellent). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), lesion contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) value of the lesion were measured for comparison. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnosis performance of ADC, and the corresponding area under curve (AUC) was calculated. The image quality scores in anatomic distortion, lesion conspicuity, sharpness of anatomical details and overall image quality of SMS rs-EPI were significantly higher than those of conventional rs-EPI. CNR was enhanced in the high-resolution SMS rs-EPI acquisition (6.48 ± 1.71 vs. 4.23 ± 1.49; p < 0.001). The mean ADC value was comparable in SMS rs-EPI and conventional rs-EPI (benign 1.45 × 10−3 vs. 1.43 × 10−3 mm2/s, p = 0.702; malignant 0.91 × 10−3 vs. 0.89 × 10−3 mm2/s, p = 0.076). The AUC was 0.957 in SMS rs-EPI and 0.983 in conventional rs-EPI. SMS rs-EPI technique allows for higher spatial resolution and slight reduction of scan time in comparison to conventional rs-EPI, which has potential for better differentiation between malignant and benign lesions of the breast.

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Qualitative and quantitative comparison of image quality between single-shot echo-planar and interleaved multi-shot echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging in female pelvis

European Radiology ◽

10.1007/s00330-019-06491-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 1876-1884

Author(s):

He An ◽

Xiaodong Ma ◽

Ziyi Pan ◽

Hua Guo ◽

Elaine Yuen Phin Lee

Keyword(s):

Image Quality ◽

Diffusion Weighted Imaging ◽

Geometric Distortion ◽

Single Shot ◽

Post Processing ◽

Female Pelvis ◽

Diffusion Weighted ◽

Noise Ratio ◽

Echo Planar ◽

Lesion Conspicuity

Abstract Objectives To qualitatively and quantitatively compare the image quality between single-shot echo-planar (SS-EPI) and multi-shot echo-planar (IMS-EPI) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in female pelvis Methods This was a prospective study involving 80 females who underwent 3.0T pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). SS-EPI and IMS-EPI DWI were acquired with 3 b values (0, 400, 800 s/mm2). Two independent reviewers assessed the overall image quality, artifacts, sharpness, and lesion conspicuity based on a 5-point Likert scale. Regions of interest (ROI) were placed on the endometrium and the gluteus muscles to quantify the signal intensities and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and geometric distortion were quantified on both sequences. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using κ statistics and Kendall test. Qualitative scores were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and quantitative parameters were compared with paired t test and Bland-Altman analysis. Results IMS-EPI demonstrated better image quality than SS-EPI for all aspects evaluated (SS-EPI vs. IMS-EPI: overall quality 3.04 vs. 4.17, artifacts 3.09 vs. 3.99, sharpness 2.40 vs. 4.32, lesion conspicuity 3.20 vs. 4.25; p < 0.001). Good agreement and correlation were observed between two reviewers (SS-EPI κ 0.699, r 0.742; IMS-EPI κ 0.702, r 0.789). IMS-EPI showed lower geometric distortion, SNR, and CNR than SS-EPI (p < 0.050). There was no significant difference in the mean ADC between the two sequences. Conclusion IMS-EPI showed better image quality with lower geometric distortion without affecting the quantification of ADC, though the SNR and CNR decreased due to post-processing limitations. Key Points • IMS-EPI showed better image quality than SS-EPI. • IMS-EPI showed lower geometric distortion without affecting ADC compared with SS-EPI. • The SNR and CNR of IMS-EPI decreased due to post-processing limitations.

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Single shot echo planar imaging (ssEPI) vs single shot turbo spin echo (ssTSE) DWI of the orbit in patients with ocular melanoma

British Journal of Radiology ◽

10.1259/bjr.20200825 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 20200825

Author(s):

Ekim Gumeler ◽

Safak Parlak ◽

Gozde Yazici ◽

Erdem Karabulut ◽

Hayyam Kiratli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Image Quality ◽

Uveal Melanoma ◽

Spin Echo ◽

Geometric Distortion ◽

Single Shot ◽

Turbo Spin Echo ◽

Turbo Spin ◽

Echoplanar Imaging ◽

Noise Ratio ◽

Signal Intensities

Objectives: Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) has become important for orbital imaging. However, the echoplanar imaging (EPI) DWI has inherent obstacles due to susceptibility to magnetic field inhomogeneities. We conducted a comparative study assessing the image quality of orbits in a patient cohort with uveal melanoma (UM). We hypothesized that single shot turbo spin echo (ssTSE) DWI would have better image quality in terms of less distortion and artifacts and yield better tissue evaluation compared to ssEPI-DWI. Methods: ssEPI-DWI and ssTSE-DWI of orbits were obtained from 50 patients with uveal melanoma who were prospectively enrolled in the study. Distortion ratio (DR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), diffusion signal properties, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were collected and compared between ssEPI-DWI and ssTSE-DWI. Two reviewers evaluated and compared the geometric distortion, susceptibility and ghosting artifacts, resolution, demarcation of ocular mass, and overall quality. Results: A higher DR was found in ssEPI-DWI compared to ssTSE-DWI (p < 0.001). SNR and CNR were lower for the temporal lobe cortex (p ≤ 0.004), but higher for melanoma in ssEPI-DWI than ssTSE-DWI (p ≤ 0.037). Geometric distortion and artifacts were more common in ssEPI-DWI (p < 0.001). Resolution (p ≤ 0.013) and overall quality (p < 0.001) were better in ssTSE-DWI. Ocular masses were demarcated better on ssEPI-DWI (p ≤ 0.002). Significant negative correlations between T1 and T2 signal intensities (r = −0.369, p ≤ 0.008) and positive correlations between T2 and both DWI signal intensities (r = 0.686 and p < 0.001 for ssEPI-DWI, r = 0.747 and p < 0.001 for ssTSE-DWI) were revealed. Conclusion: With less geometric distortion and susceptibility artifacts, better resolution, and overall quality, ssTSE-DWI can serve as an alternative to ssEPI-DWI for orbital DWI. Advances in knowledge: ssTSE-DWI can be a better alternative of diffusion imaging of orbits with less susceptibility artifact and geometric distortion compared to ssEPI-DWI.

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Diffusion-Weighted Imaging of the Abdomen Using Echo Planar Imaging with Compressed SENSE: Feasibility, Image Quality, and ADC Value Evaluation

European Journal of Radiology ◽

10.1016/j.ejrad.2021.109889 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 109889

Author(s):

Tetsuro Kaga ◽

Yoshifumi Noda ◽

Takayuki Mori ◽

Hirota Takano ◽

Nobuyuki Kawai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Image Quality ◽

Diffusion Weighted Imaging ◽

Echo Planar Imaging ◽

Planar Imaging ◽

Adc Value ◽

Value Evaluation ◽

Diffusion Weighted ◽

Echo Planar

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Comparison between turbo spin-echo and echo planar diffusion-weighted imaging of the female pelvis with 3T MRI

Acta Radiologica Open ◽

10.1177/2058460121994737 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 205846012199473

Author(s):

Takeshi Yoshizako ◽

Rika Yoshida ◽

Hiroya Asou ◽

Megumi Nakamura ◽

Hajime Kitagaki

Keyword(s):

Image Quality ◽

Diffusion Weighted Imaging ◽

Spin Echo ◽

Turbo Spin Echo ◽

Female Pelvis ◽

3T Mri ◽

Turbo Spin ◽

Diffusion Weighted ◽

Adc Values ◽

Echo Planar

Background Echo-planar imaging (EPI)-diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) may take unclear image affected by susceptibility, geometric distortions and chemical shift artifacts. Purpose To compare the image quality and usefulness of EPI-DWI and turbo spin echo (TSE)-DWI in female patients who required imaging of the pelvis. Material and Methods All 57 patients were examined with a 3.0-T MR scanner. Both TSE- and EPI-DWI were performed with b values of 0 and 1000 s/mm2. We compared geometric distortion, the contrast ratio (CR) of the myometrium to the muscle and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for the myometrium and lesion. Two radiologists scored the TSE- and EPI-DWI of each patient for qualitative evaluation. Results The mean percent distortion was significantly smaller with TSE- than EPI-DWI ( p = 0.00). The CR was significantly higher with TSE- than EPI-DWI ( p = 0.003). There was a significant difference in the ADC value for the uterus and lesions between the EPI- and TSE-DWI ( p < 0.05). Finally, the ADC values of cancer were significantly different from those for the uterus and benign with both the two sequences ( p < 0.05). The scores for ghosting artifacts were higher with TSE- than EPI-DWI ( p = 0.019). But there were no significant differences between TSE- and EPI-DWI with regard to image contrast and overall image quality. Conclusion TSE-DWI on the female pelvis by 3T MRI produces less distortion and higher CR than EPI-DWI, but there is no difference in contrast and image quality.

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Comparison of Compressed Sensing and Gradient and Spin-Echo in Breath-Hold 3D MR Cholangiopancreatography: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11040634 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 634

Author(s):

Weon Jang ◽

Ji Soo Song ◽

Sang Heon Kim ◽

Jae Do Yang

Keyword(s):

Image Quality ◽

Compressed Sensing ◽

Spin Echo ◽

Contrast Ratio ◽

Rank Test ◽

Breath Holding ◽

Breath Hold ◽

Background Suppression ◽

Time Saving ◽

Noise Ratio

While magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is routinely used, compressed sensing MRCP (CS-MRCP) and gradient and spin-echo MRCP (GRASE-MRCP) with breath-holding (BH) may allow sufficient image quality with shorter acquisition times. This study qualitatively and quantitatively compared BH-CS-MRCP and BH-GRASE-MRCP and evaluated their clinical effectiveness. Data from 59 consecutive patients who underwent both BH-CS-MRCP and BH-GRASE-MRCP were qualitatively analyzed using a five-point Likert-type scale. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the common bile duct (CBD), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the CBD and liver, and contrast ratio between periductal tissue and the CBD were measured. Paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and McNemar’s test were used for statistical analysis. No significant differences were found in overall image quality or duct visualization of the CBD, right and left 1st level intrahepatic duct (IHD), cystic duct, and proximal pancreatic duct (PD). BH-CS-MRCP demonstrated higher background suppression and better visualization of right (p = 0.004) and left 2nd level IHD (p < 0.001), mid PD (p = 0.003), and distal PD (p = 0.041). Image quality degradation was less with BH-GRASE-MRCP than BH-CS-MRCP (p = 0.025). Of 24 patients with communication between a cyst and the PD, 21 (87.5%) and 15 patients (62.5%) demonstrated such communication on BH-CS-MRCP and BH-GRASE-MRCP, respectively. SNR, contrast ratio, and CNR of BH-CS-MRCP were higher than BH-GRASE-MRCP (p < 0.001). Both BH-CS-MRCP and BH-GRASE-MRCP are useful imaging methods with sufficient image quality. Each method has advantages, such as better visualization of small ducts with BH-CS-MRCP and greater time saving with BH-GRASE-MRCP. These differences allow diverse choices for visualization of the pancreaticobiliary tree in clinical practice.

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